Eyewear, such as eyeglasses, sunglasses, reading glasses and the like, are often taken on and off by a user in a repetitive fashion over the course of a day. This repeated pattern of wearing and subsequently removing eyewear from the head of the user renders the glasses highly susceptible to unintentional misplacement, which is highly undesirable.
Accordingly, retainers are often secured to glasses to prevent the likelihood of inadvertent misplacement, these retainers being commonly referred to in the art as eyeglass retainers, straps, chains, necklaces or bands. One type of eyeglass retainer which is well-known in the art includes an elongated cord, often chain-like, beaded or otherwise decorative in nature, with means at each of its ends for releasable connection to a corresponding temple member, or arm, of an eyeglass frame. In this capacity, the retainer serves to effectively connect, or enclose, the distal ends of the pair of temple members. When the eyeglasses are being worn, the cord is designed to hang loosely behind the head of the user. However, with the eyeglasses removed, the cord wraps partially around the back of the user's neck and enables the eyeglasses to hang freely against the user's chest until further use is required, thereby eliminating the risk of unintentional misplacement.
Different means for releasably connecting each end of traditional eyeglass straps to the frame of a pair of eyeglasses are known in the art.
As a first connection means, each end of the retainer is often provided with a partially open, C-shaped, clasp that is dimensioned to hook through a small, circular opening formed in the distal end of each frame arm. An example of an eyeglass strap that is provided with a pair of partially open, hook-shaped clasps is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,023,523, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
As a second connection means, each end of the retainer is often provided with a looped fitting that is constructed out of an elastic material, such as rubber. In use, the looped fitting is fittingly slid over the distal end of each temple member of the eyeglasses frame, with a collar often designed to slide axially over the fitting to releasably cinch the loop tightly around its corresponding temple member. An example of an eyeglass strap that is provided with looped fittings is shown in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/010885 to S. Wolf, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Although well-known and widely used in the art, retainers of the type that rely upon partially open clasps or looped fittings to allow for releasable connection to a pair of eyeglasses have been found to suffer from a number of notable drawbacks.
As a first drawback, both of the aforementioned means for releasably coupling the ends of an eyeglass strap to a corresponding frame arm of a pair of glasses have been found to be highly unreliable with respect to its connective integrity. This connective unreliability, in turn, frequently results in unintentional decoupling of the retainer from the frame, often unknowingly to the user, thereby resulting in a greater likelihood of losing the eyeglasses, which is highly undesirable.
As a second drawback, both of the aforementioned means for releasably coupling the ends of an eyeglass strap to a corresponding frame arm of a pair of eyeglasses introduce a significant, visibly unattractive component to the retainer. In fact, the use of traditional eyeglass retainers is typically limited to office and residential settings because it is widely regarded that conventional retainers fashionably detract from overall style of their wearers.
As a third drawback, both of the aforementioned means for releasably coupling the ends of an eyeglass strap to a corresponding frame arm of a pair of glasses often create discomfort to the wearer. In particular, an eyeglass retainer that utilizes a pair of looped fittings that slide over the distal ends of eyeglass frame arms generally positions the fittings in direct contact against the user (e.g., directly against the temples or the back of the ears of the wearer). This direct contact established between the looped fittings and the wearer is often found to be uncomfortable when maintained over a prolonged period of time.
To prevent inadvertent separation, retainers are often constructed to be permanently connected to a pair of eyeglasses. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,409 to R. Speers, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, there is shown a safety support for eyeglasses that includes an elongated ribbon that is permanently secured to the temple members of a pair of glasses by inserting each end of the ribbon through an opening formed in a corresponding temple member and, in turn, forming a knot. Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,012 to D. Downey, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, there is shown an eyeglass retainer in the form of an elongated strand that is dimensioned for insertion through an opening formed in each temple member of a pair of eyeglasses, each end of the strand being shaped to include an enlarged knob to prevent dissociation of the retainer from the eyeglasses.
Although useful in preventing the inadvertent misplacement of glasses, eyeglass straps that rely upon permanent means of connection to a frame are often disfavored due to their relatively conspicuous, unfashionable nature. As can be appreciated, it has been found that users prefer the ability to remove a retainer from a pair of eyeglasses in certain situations.
In view of the aforementioned shortcomings associated with traditional eyeglass retainers, alternative means for securing eyeglasses on a person are currently available in the marketplace.
One alternative means for retaining glasses on a person utilizes a hook-shaped clip that is secured to an article of the person's clothing, such as shirt pocket. The hook-shaped clip is affixed to the outer surface of the article of clothing using a complementary magnetic component that is disposed against the inner surface of the clothing in alignment therewith. Accordingly, when not being used, the eyeglasses are disposed in a folded condition and, in turn, are hung onto the exposed, hook-shaped clip.
Another alternative means for retaining glasses on a person utilizes a lanyard that hangs around the neck of the wearer. The lanyard includes an enlarged ring that rests against the chest of the user. Accordingly, when not being used, the eyeglasses are disposed in a folded condition and, in turn, are hung onto the enlarged ring.
Although well-known in the art, both of the above-described means for retaining eyeglasses on a person suffer from notable drawbacks. Most notably, both means require the user to repeatedly fold, hang, unhang and unfold the eyeglasses during routine use, which is rather time-consuming and complex in nature. Furthermore, both means are typically regarded as visibly unattractive and thereby fashionably detract from the overall style of the wearer.
Although there are a variety of different eyeglass retainers available in the marketplace today, the inventor is not aware of any existing eyeglass retainer arrangement with a secure, reliable and easily interchangeable mechanism that provides quick and easy access to the eyeglasses in a ready-to-use position, that is also aesthetically appealing and does not cause irritation to the skin of the wearer.
This being said, there remains a need for an eyeglass retainer arrangement that is comfortable and highly reliable with respect to its connective integrity, that presents an attractive look and provides users with quick access to their eyeglasses in a ready-to-use position, and that offers a released connection that can be quickly changed at will to suit the attire of the user.